Ash-sifter.



No. 737,699. PATENTED SEPT. 1, 1903., W. H. BOYLE. ASH SIPTER.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 29, 1903.

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UNITED STATES iatented September 1, 196$ WVILLIAM H. BOYLE, OF OSWEGO,NEW YORK.

ASH-SIFTER.

SPEGIFIUATiON forming part of Letters Patent No. 737,699, datedSeptember 1, 1903.

Application filed April 29, 1903. Serial No. 154,767. (No model.)

To ctZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM H. BOYLE, of Oswego, in the county ofOswego, in the State of New York, have invented new and usefulImprovements in Ash-Sifters, of which the following, taken in connectionwith the accompanying drawings, is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to improvements in ash-sitters in which asubstantially cylindricalsieve is rotatably mounted within a suitableinclosing case, the latter being open at the bottom and is adapted to beplaced upon a barrel, box, or other large receptacle for receiving theashes passing through the sieve.

The primary object of the various improve ments hereinafter enumeratedis to produce a simple, durable, and practical construction whereby thefiner grades of coal may be sep arated from the ashes and dischargedautomatically into a receptacle provided therefor without liability ofthe escape of any dust except through the channels or passages providedtherefor, the friction of the rotarysieve being reduced to a minimum byproviding the same with trunnions which rest upon thin open-sidedbearings, so that the sieve may be readily removed from the inclosingshell, if desired.

Further objects will appear in the subsequent description.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improvedash-sifting apparatus,

showing the lid or upper section as swung backwardly to its openposition, the door of the discharge-chute for the coal being also shownin its raised position for disclosing the auxiliary inclined sievewithinthe chute. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section through the deviceseen in Fig. 1, except that the parts which are open in Fig. 1 areclosed in this figure. Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on line 3 3,Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail view of one of thesupporting-journals for the sieve and the movable end-thrust bearingtherefor, showing also a portion of one of the end walls upon which saidjournal is supported. Fig. 5 is a vertical section taken on line 5 5,Fig. 2. Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail section through the meeting edgesof the upper and lower sections of the inclosing shell or case.

Similar referencecharacters indicate cor responding parts in all theviews.

In carrying out the objects of my invention I provide a suitableinclosing case consisting of lower and upper sections 1 and 2, in whichis mounted a rotary sieve 3, the lowersection 1 being open at the topand bottom, the opening in the top permitting the insertion and removalof the sieve 3 and the opening in the bottom serving to permit thedischarge by gravitation of the ashes, which may escape through meshesof the sieve during the operation of rotating the same.

The section 1 is mounted upon a suitable receptacle, such as a box 4.,(indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1,) which box is provided with anopening at the top alin'ed with the opening in the bottom of the section1, it being understood that the lower section 1 and open end of the box4 are made to fit each other, so as to prevent the escape of any dustwhich may be discharged through the open bottom of the section 1.

Mounted upon one end of the section 1 and preferably extending across aportion of one end of the open bottom is a chute or pocket 5, whichextends downwardly from the lower edges of the side walls of the section1 and is provided with bottom, side, and rear walls 6,

7, and 8, said chute being open at the top for receiving the coal, whichis discharged from the sieve in the manner hereinafter described, andthe front of said chute is also open and is provided with a swingingclosure 9, the latter being for the purpose of preventing the escape ofdust during the operation of sifting the ashes, and at the same timepermitting the sifted coal to be removed when the sifting operation iscompleted. This chute or pocket 5 is removably attached to the section1, and for this purpose I provide the front ends of the lower edges ofthe side walls of said section 1 with laterally-projecting flanges orguides 10, and the upper edges of the side walls of the chute are alsoprovided with inwardly-projecting flanges 11, which rest upon.

the flanges 10, the latter forming supporting guides or ways upon whichthe flanges 11 slide during the operation of removing the chute orplacing it in operative position. The object in making this chuteremovable is to permit the operator to readily convey the ashes to anydesired locality and dump the same without necessitating the removal ofthe entire apparatus.

In order to further insure the thorough separation of the ashes or dustfrom the sifted coal after it leaves the rotary sifter, I provide thechute 5 with an inclined sieve 12, which extends from the upper edge ofthe rear wall to the lower front edge of the bottom wall, and thereforeinclines downwardly and forwardly for the purpose of discharging thecoal through the open front end of the chute when the door 9 is open.This sieve 12 is hinged at its upper rear end at 13, so that its frontend may be tilted upwardly for the purpose of discharging any asheswhich may have accumulated on the bottom 6 beneath the sieve 12.

The door!) is hinged at its upper end at 14 to the chute 5, and its freeend and side edges are provided with inturned flanges 15, which overlapthe adjacent sides of the chute when the door is closed to furtherprevent the escape of any dust. It will be seen from this latterstatement that to remove the chute 5 it is simply necessary to draw thesame forwardly longitudinally upon the ways 10,which operation alsoremoves the door 9 and screen 12, which are mounted upon the chute, asuitable stop or stops 16 being provided upon the side walls of thesection 1 to limit the inward movement of the chute when placed inoperative position.

The lid 2 is preferably semicylindrical in cross-section and is providedwith end walls, one of its longitudinal meeting edges being hinged tothe adjacent longitudinal edge of the section 1, so that the uppersection forms a lid adapted to be swung into and out of operativeposition for entirely inclosing the sieve 3 or when swung backwardly toexpose said sieve and to permit its removal when desired, the meetingedges of the end walls of said sections being provided with recesses 17,which fit over and .upon the journals of the sieve-3, as hereinafter setforth.

In order to reinforce the meeting edges of the sections 1 and 2, Iprovide each with a wire band 18 and 19, which entirely surround theirrespective sections, the band 18 being held in position by turning theupper edge of the section 1 outwardly, downwardly, and upwardly, bywhich a loop is formed to receive the wire band. The other band, 19, isheld in position by bending the lower edge of the section 2 outwardlyand upwardly for forming a loop which incloses the wire. The lower edgeof the upper section preferably telescopes with the upper edge of thelower section ifor the purpose of preventing the escape of dust at thejunction of the two sections, said seciions being held in their closedposition by a suitable clasp 20, which engages a shoulder 21= upon thesection 1.

and 24 and tie-rods 25, connecting said heads. The sieve proper is ofless length than its inclosing case or shell and islof such diameterthat its lower portion is normally disposed in a plane slightly abovethat of thelower edges of the section 1. The heads 23 and 24 are mountedupon journals 26 and 27, the journal 26 being permanently secured to thehead 23 and normally rests in an open-sided bearing 28 in the upper edgeof the rear end wall of the section 1, said journal being extendedoutwardly beyond the end wall of the section 1 and is provided with asuitable crank 30, by which the sieve is rotated; Shoulders 31 areprovided upon the journals 26 at the inner and outer sides of theadjacent wall of the case 1 and serve to prevent endwise movement of thesieve when in its operative position. The opposite or front end of thesieve is preferably open and is provided with asliding closure or endwall 33,- to which the inner end of the journal 27 is secured, while itsopposite end is movable in a central opening in the head 24 and is journaled in an opensided bearing 35 in the upper edge of the end wall of thecase-section 1. The front open end of the sieve terminates in a verticalplane substantially coincident with the rear end of the chute 5, sothatduring the operation'of sifting the ashes passing through the sieveescape through the open bottom in the section 1 at the rear of the chute5, while the coal or coarser matter which is retained within the sieveis forced through the open end of the sieve and deposited onto thescreen 12 in the chute 5, when the closure 33 is open, sufficient spacebeing left between the end wall 33 and head 24 to permit the closure 33to be moved axially of the sieve sufficient to permit the discharge ofthe coal into the chute 5.

It has been previously stated that the sieve is held from endwisemovement by the tierods 25, and in order to prevent the endwise movementof the head or end wall 33 during the sifting operation I provide thefront end wall of thecase 1 with a swinging bracket 37, to which issecured an abutment 38, the latter being adapted to be swung into andout of .engagement with the adjacent face of the j ournal 27 to preventendwise movement of the trunnion and the head or end wall 33, securedthereto. When it is desired to remove the coal from the interior of thesieve, it is simply necessary to rock the bracket upwardly, which throwsthe abutment 38 out of alinement with the journal 27, whereupon saidtrunnion may be drawn forwardly and axially for withdrawing the end wall33 from the open end of the sieve, said end wall being provided withrecesses in its periphery, which receive the tie-rods 25, the latterserv;v ing to guide and to hold the end wall 33 from accidentaldisplacement. In order that the closure 33 may fit as closely aspossible in the opening, the central portion is stamped or pressedinwardly to form an annular shoulder 40 and a marginal flange 41, inwhich lat- IIO ter the recesses for receiving the tie-rods 25 areformed.

It is desirable to feed the coal or coarser material gradually towardthe front open end of the sieve in order that the same may be readilydischarged into the chute 5 either during or after the operation ofsifting the ashes, and I therefore provide the sieve with an interiorspiral plate 42, which extends from end to end of the sieve and issecured thereto, this spiral being usually arranged in close proximityto the cylindrical wall of the sieve, so that when the sieve is rotatedthe coarser material, as coal, is fed forwardly toward the open end ofthe sieve.

It is apparent from the foregoing description that the only bearings forthe sieve are the thin edges of the end walls of the lower section 1,and therefore the friction is reduced to a minimum.

In order to provide means for introducing the ashes into the sieve, Ipreferably form the cylindrical portion of the sieve in sections, one ofthe sections, as 43, being hinged at one of its longitudinal edges at 4Ato the adjacent edge of the remaining portion of the cylinder, while itsfree edge is adapted to be swung outwardly, but is normally held in itsclosed position by catches, such as hooks 45. The ashes may preferablybe placed in the sieve while in operative position by simply opening thescreen-door 43. lVhen the ashes are thus placed in the sieve and thelatter is suspended in its bearings, the lid 2 is closed and locked, andthe sieve is then rotated by means of a crank 30, during which operationthe ashes are separated from the coal, the ashes being precipitatedthrough the bottom of the section 1 into the receptacle 4:, and the coalis fed forwardly to the open end of the sieve and is finally dischargedonto the screen 12, from which it passes out through the door 9 by itsown weight.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is-

1. In an ash-sifter, the combination with an inclosing case consistingof lower and upper sections hinged to each other, the lower sectionhaving an open bottom, a chute inclosing a portion of the open bottomand depending therefrom, one end of the chute being open, a movableclosure for the open end of the chute, a screen in the chute incliningdownwardly toward the open end, a rotary sieve in the shell or casinghaving one end open and terminating at the closed end of the chutewhereby the ashes are deposited at of the journals being movableaxially, a movable end-thrust bearing for the latter journal, a sievemounted in the frame and having one end open, and a closure for the openend of the sieve secured to the axially movable journal.

3. In an ash-sifter, the combination of an inclosing case consisting oflower and upper sections hinged to each other, the lower section havingan open bottom, a rotary frame in the shell or casing, journals journaled upon the upper edges of the end walls of the lower section andsupporting said frame, one of the journals being movable axially, amovable end-thrust bearing for the latter journal, a sieve mounted inthe frame and having one end open, and a closure for the open end of thesieve secured to the ZLXlitllY-IIIOVELblGjOLl1- nal, and a chutedepending from the lower edges of the lower section communicating withthe interior of the shell or casing for receiving the coal from the openend of the sieve.

l. In an ash-sifter, the combination of an inclosing case consisting oflower and upper sections hinged to each other, the lower section havingan open bottom, a rotarytframe in the shell or casing, journalsjournaled upon the upper edges of the end walls of the lower section andsupporting said frame, one of the journals being movable axially, amovable end-thrust bearing for the latter journal, a sieve mounted inthe frame and having one end open, and a closure for the open end of thesieve secured to the axially-movable journal, and a chute depending fromthe lower edges of the lower section communicating with the interior ofthe shell or casing for receiving the coal from the open end of thesieve, one end of the chute being open, a closure for the open end ofthe chute and an inclined screen in the chute discharging toward theopening of said chute.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 27th day of April,1903.

WVILLIAM I-l. BOYLE. Witnesses:

MILDRED M. Norr, HOWARD P. DENISON.

